SK c07s02
Text On the other battlefield, Luna had felt every blow: every blow given, and every blow taken, flagging now as she breathed hard in and out, before her eyes flickered in shock as she felt Scrivener's horror and surprise, tasted pain, felt agony sear through her frame even as she managed to force herself to leaping forwards and crush another Velite beneath her hooves… and then her eyes rolled up in her head with a gasp as a thud like a battering ram crashed into her body, frame going weak as she collapsed to the ground amidst the bodies of Velites, Nibelung, and dead ponies. The Nibelung commanding the raid looked up with a grin as it saw Luna faint, smashing a pony out of the way with a wide slap of its axe before it charged eagerly towards the fallen winged unicorn, raising its axe high as it spun its dagger in the other hand… and then Twilight Sparkle leapt in front of Luna, snarling and shouting: "Stay back!" "Two for price of one!" the Nibelung snarled, then it flung the dagger with a hard flick of its wrist, Twilight's eyes widening before she cursed as the ugly blade of bone ripped across her shoulder, wincing in pain before looking up as the wolf-pig leapt towards her, bringing the axe high above its head… and the unicorn's eyes and horn both glowed as she leaned forwards with a snarl and unleashed a focused pulse of pure force. The dwarf was blasted into the air, axe flying from its hands as it screamed in shock, flipping violently upwards before crashing down some thirty feet away in a broken heap on its back. It screeched, then gagged and grabbed at its chest before slowly struggling to sit up even as blood leaked from its jaws… and then it stupidly seized the broken blades of wood that had pierced through its body from falling on the shattered wall, frowning almost curiously at this before its eyes rolled up in its head and it slumped, dead. Several of the Nibelungs looked up at this, then turned back towards the hole they had breached in the wall and quickly fled back the way they had come, leaving only a scattered handful of Velites… and Applejack cursed as she jumped on one of these, Rainbow tackling another onto its back and smashing his hoof through its skull even as the earth pony shouted: "Do we follow 'em, Twilight?" Twilight shook her head as she turned around, flicking her head to the side almost disdainfully as her horn glowed, and a Velite was torn off the ground and slammed into a wall, shattering the skeleton into fragments as she said quietly: "No, there's no point. Something must have happened to Scrivener Blooms, though, and that means…" "Oh God, Scarlet Sage and Fluttershy, but… you don't think…" Applejack glanced back and forth worriedly, then she cursed quietly under her breath at the sight of the injured and few dead: the battle had been fast, and vicious… and not without cost, from how many Nibelungs and Velites had flooded in on the attack. "Rainbow, I… help me gather up the wounded here, we'll get them over to the medical center, and then-" "Scrivener Blooms…" Luna whispered, and Twilight dropped to her knees beside her as Luna gritted her teeth, the other ponies hesitating for a moment… but when the violet unicorn looked up at them, AJ and Rainbow exchanged nervous looks before nodding and heading quickly off to help the others. "Twilight Sparkle, I… no, I cannot feel him…" Luna shuddered a little, slowly picking herself, breathing hard, bleeding from wounds that steamed faintly over her body… and Twilight winced before her horn glowed as she began to slowly, carefully heal the larger damages… damages she could tell had been passed on, in most cases, from awful things likely down to Scrivy. "He is… unconscious. Sol Seraph… Sol Seraph has captured Scrivener Blooms, Fluttershy, and Scarlet Sage…" She shook her head slowly, swaying a bit on her hooves before she snarled and flicked her mane to the side, and it gave a vibrant pulse as her horn glowed, energy shocking over her form as her eyes glowed white and she snarled in a voice that wasn't her own as Twilight staggered backwards: "We shall tear her apart for what she has done! We shall skin her while she still lives!" Then Luna winced as the glow faded from her eyes, even as her wounds slowly healed over her frame and she leaned forwards, gritting her teeth and muttering: "Apologies, Twilight Sparkle… I do not know if that was more my own temper or Nightmare Moon. Both of us wish to immediately head to confront and attack Sol Seraph before she can perform any further evils upon the heads of either Scrivener Blooms, Fluttershy, or the filly we see as our daughter… but I know that…I must not rush." She shivered a little at these words, shaking her head slowly before looking towards the unicorn as Twilight looked over her with concern even as the wounds on her body healed visibly and her mane sparked with electricity. "Luna, not… not to be rude, but-" "I know." Luna only smiled wanly, glancing down and closing her eyes as she shivered a little before grimacing as she glanced back and forth over the battlefield. "I need a moment to rest, to gather my thoughts… to understand what has just happened. Does thou remember the necromancy I taught thee to banish the remains of the Velites, to prevent them from resurrection?" Twilight nodded after a moment, studying the winged unicorn silently, but Luna only shook her head and murmured: "Nay, Twilight. Worry not for me… I am fine. Go, perform the spell… I shall…" Luna shook her head again, then she slowly stumbled around in a circle, but her gait took up more purpose, more strength, as she forced her hooves to walk slowly through the battlefield. She looked silently back and forth, surveying the bones and bodies of the fallen, shivering a little and wondering how much she had missed… but glad that at least it could not have been too long. It had been a pitched fight, fervent, violent, fast and yet slow… and the problem wasn't so much that Luna could feel information and wild thoughts from Scrivy's subconscious floating into her own, it was the feeling of separation… the feeling of failing him, and sending him headlong into an ambush. Of trying to outwait the predator… and being outwitted by a creature that was slyer and more cunning than Luna had dared to imagine. And she could feel Nightmare Moon, eager to be set free, to take form, to chase down Sol Seraph and crush her, crush her, crush her until not a speck of the monster was left, not a trace of her existed, burning down what she had built and then tearing into her encampment, killing everyone who allied themselves with the monster disguised as a Pegasus… She shivered, then repressed those thoughts, instead focusing on the information her link with Scrivener Blooms had brought to light. The fact that Sol Seraph had a unicorn's horn implanted in her foreleg and was somehow able to use its powers, for example, was a good start… and it partly explained the lingering Pale they had seen in her presence. But why it would still gaze upon her with pity instead of hatred or scorn… "Perhaps there is such a thing as too kind." Luna muttered… and then her head snapped upwards as she heard Sol Seraph whisper: The only useful gift my husband gave me before I killed him… Mother always said… I was too much like Father… Fluttershy's voice murmured, and there was a flash, an image of the Pegasus smiling… and Luna gritted her teeth, dropping her head forwards and shaking her head wildly, trying to get the memories and images out of her mind… but with Scrivener unconscious, his mind dreaming and likely a little addled from the blows she knew he'd taken… She shook her head quickly, gritting her teeth as she stormed around a corner and stopped in an alley… then sat herself down and pressed back against the wall, eyes clenching shut as she whispered: "Daydreamer… thou sees me as a hero, and look, look what I have done…" She shivered a bit, then shook her head briskly and muttered: "No, no. I only need a moment or two longer to rest… my mind is confused, but clearing… and even without our link, there is only one place the predator will return to. Its lair… and I shall crash in upon it and attack. I shall be merciless. I shall be heartless. I shall show Sol Seraph what 'love' means, when it is interfered with… I shall teach her that her cruelty cannot match that of Nightmare Moon's…" Her eyes glowed faint white for a moment as she leaned forwards, gritting her teeth into what was almost a grin… and then it turned into a grimace of pain as she shook her head quickly, whispering harshly: "Stop it, Nightmare Moon! We must work together… yes, yes, we shall punish Sol Seraph, but we must first rescue Scrivener Blooms and our treasures, our friends!" She cursed quietly… and then her mane flickered behind her, shedding sapphire light over the ground that made Luna's shadow stretch and distort, before eyes opened in the darkness spilling out beneath her… and the winged unicorn stared down at this as the shadow changed in shape, became larger, more ominous, as Nightmare Moon murmured back to her quietly: "Then let me out, my little one. Let me out…" "Not yet." Luna whispered, and the shadow seemed to frown up at her, tilting her head as the female smiled faintly down at her, saying quietly: "Horses of Heaven, I cannot explain how much I wish to give in completely to thee, Nightmare Moon… and no, I do not fear that thou wouldst take me over again, that I would become what I was in the past… far from it, I would welcome it. If it meant Scrivener Blooms and our precious treasures were saved… I would gladly allow thee to do as thee wished, and be the one receded inside once more, small and silent, and let thee have thy way however thee pleased, in power and control… "But Nightmare Moon, power alone cannot stop Sol Seraph. That is what I fear… and blasting and breaking the fortress around her may cause her to wound those we care for. Would thou truly risk having Scrivener Blooms face us with disappointment? Would thou risk losing the love thou so jealously guards? We must be cunning. We must be careful." Luna urged softly, sliding her hooves forwards, the shadows of Nightmare Moon crawling silently up her limbs as it seemed to almost lean up out of the ground towards her, eyes locking with glowing eyes. "But if the time and chance allows it… thou shalt taste the darkest, sweetest revenge thou can wish." Nightmare Moon nodded slowly… and Luna's starry mane sparked quietly before it settled slowly back against her body, the shadow of Nightmare Moon receding and becoming only her own shadow once more… but Luna smiled wryly, looking down at this silently and knowing that was all Nightmare Moon had ever really been in the first place. She sighed a little as she stood up and quietly made her way out of the alley, but her mind was settled, her goals clear. She had an idea of what to do… and then she glanced over her shoulder as she heard the approach of ponies, before smiling faintly at the sight of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, saying quietly: "All will be well, worry not, my friends. I go now to finish this job. I shall return with the others in tow." "No, Luna, we'll do this together." Twilight said quietly, and Luna softened a bit as Rainbow Dash nodded firmly and the earth pony gave her own smile of agreement, the three looking resolute. "It was hard enough convincing Pinkamena and Rarity to stay back and help the others… and yes, when I said Pinkamena, I meant Pinkamena. Even… she cares, in her own weird, weird way, about what happens to Scrivy and Fluttershy and Scarlet Sage… even if she probably just wants to watch you beat Sol Seraph to a pulp, too." "Sugar-cube, at this point, I'm pretty sure everypony here wants to see that." Applejack muttered, and Rainbow Dash gave a grunt of agreement before the earth pony looked forwards and said quietly: "Luna, please. We are your friends, don't go forgettin' that now. We ain't gonna let you walk into this trap alone." "But that is exactly what I plan to do. Walk calmly and placidly into Sol Seraph's trap." Luna said softly, and the ponies looked at her with surprise before she smiled slightly and turned away, saying quietly: "Come then, my friends. If I cannot dissuade thee from following… at least I can explain on the way. And we may yet be able to save our precious friends." The three ponies traded nervous look with one another, but then Twilight nodded firmly, running to fall into step beside Luna as Rainbow Dash and Applejack followed apprehensively after the winged unicorn, apprehension and malice tingling the air, but Luna facing calmly, coldly ahead as she strode slowly forwards despite the anxiety tingling in her aching body and the thoughts racing wildly through her mind, eyes glowing with ruthlessness and hope. Top ↑ Category:Transcript Category:Story